On July 9, 1762, a coup d'etat took place in the Russian Empire, as a result of which Catherine II came to power.
Her husband, Peter III, who was deposed from the throne, soon died under unclear circumstances.
The new ruler, who was well versed in people, was able to form a team of statesmen who strengthened the Russian Empire and expanded its borders.
Peter and Catherine
The future Emperor of Russia Peter III (birth name - Karl Peter) was born on February 21, 1728 in the German city of Kiel in the family of the Holstein-Gottorp Duke Karl Friedrich and the nee Grand Duchess Anna, the daughter of Peter I. From childhood, he admired the personality of the Prussian King Frederick II and corresponded with him for many years.
Karl Peter lost his parents early.
In 1742, his aunt, the Russian Empress Elizabeth I, who had no legitimate heirs, invited the young duke to St. Petersburg and announced that he would be her successor to the throne.
After the adoption of Orthodoxy, he received the name Pyotr Fedorovich.
On September 1, 1745, the heir to the throne married his distant relative, the born Anhalt-Zerbst princess Sophia Augusta Frederica, who became Catherine when she converted to Orthodoxy.
Relations between the young spouses did not work out.
The grandson of Peter I lived separately from his wife and openly had affairs with maids of honor.
Against the background of the lack of attention from her husband, Catherine devoted most of her time to the study of literature, art and science.
Soon, Catherine, like her husband, began to have extramarital affairs.
It is known about her relationship with the Polish diplomat (the future king of the Commonwealth) Stanislav Poniatowski and Count Grigory Orlov.
In the marriage of Peter and Catherine, a son, Pavel, and a daughter, Anna, were born.
However, some historians doubt that their father was Peter.
On January 5, 1762, Elizaveta Petrovna died.
According to experts, even before her death, influential courtiers began to talk about the fact that Peter, who was distinguished by a windy character, would not be able to become a worthy ruler.
Once on the throne, he gave grounds for increased criticism of himself.
Peter III, painting by Lucas Conrad Pfandzelt, 1762
© Wikimedia
Peter III led Russia out of the Seven Years' War, making peace with Prussia and returning to that territory that had previously sworn allegiance to the Russian throne, including Königsberg.
He announced the sequestration of the property of the Orthodox Church and the abolition of monastic land ownership.
In addition, Peter announced preparations for a war with Denmark, which from his youth he considered an opponent of Russia.
“Peter III neglected the victories that were won by the blood of Russian soldiers and officers in the Seven Years' War, began the process of robbing the church, did not marry the kingdom according to the Orthodox rite, and committed many other acts that were complete absurdity in the eyes of his contemporaries.
These political mistakes clearly demonstrated that he understood practically nothing in Russia and its life, ”said a professor at Moscow State University in a conversation with RT.
M.V.
Lomonosov, Doctor of Historical Sciences Dmitry Volodikhin.
According to Tatyana Khomutova, an employee of the Volgograd Historical Park of the Russia - My History project, the lack of understanding among others also caused Peter III's unwillingness to follow the rules of court ceremonial, which he often openly violated and ridiculed.
Catherine II at the coffin of Empress Elizabeth, painting by Nikolai Ge, 1874
© Wikimedia
“Peter III tied knots of tension in Russian society, in which he then became entangled,” the expert believes.
As MPGU professor Vitaly Zakharov noted in an interview with RT, Peter III should not be considered an unambiguously negative historical character, but he understood politics poorly and did not understand Russian realities.
“Peter III was a very difficult person, but on the whole he was benevolent and humanistic towards people.
He criticized serfdom and freed political prisoners.
However, his foreign policy, which was dominated by personal attachment to the Prussian king Frederick II, directly contradicted the national interests.
This caused strong indignation among the Russian nobility, ”Zakharov emphasized.
coup d'état
After Peter III ascended the throne, his relationship with his wife deteriorated.
He publicly insulted his wife, threatened to arrest her or send her to a monastery.
In addition, Peter thought about how he could marry one of his favorites, Elizaveta Vorontsova.
According to historians, the popularity of Catherine, who emphasized her respect for everything Russian, grew in proportion to the irritation of the Russian population with the actions of her husband.
The tsar's wife, despite her German origin, learned the Russian language well and observed Orthodox rites.
In addition, by the standards of her time, she was well-read and had a broad outlook.
A circle of statesmen and military figures gradually formed around Catherine, who sympathized with her and believed that she would become a much better ruler than her husband.
Among them were the Orlov brothers, diplomat Nikita Panin, president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, hetman of the Zaporizhia Army Kirill Razumovsky and many officers of the guards regiments.
According to contemporaries, about 40 guards officers and about 10 thousand guard soldiers were ready to take the side of Catherine at any moment.
On July 9, 1762, Catherine became aware that one of her supporters, Guards officer Pyotr Passek, had been arrested.
As historians note, this event could lead to the loss of any opportunity for Catherine to take the throne, so the environment convinced her to act immediately.
Catherine, surrounded by supporters, went to the guards regiments, who, one by one, swore allegiance to her.
On the streets of St. Petersburg, people greeted her.
Arriving at the Winter Palace, she took the oath at the Senate and the Synod.
Immediately a manifesto was drawn up, according to which the new empress promises to defend Russian military glory and the Orthodox Church.
Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna, painting by Louis Caravaque, 1745
© Wikimedia
Peter III spent the summer of 1762 in Oranienbaum.
On the day of the coup, he was going to visit his wife, who was supposed to be in Peterhof, but did not find her there and soon found out about what was happening in St. Petersburg.
According to historians, the environment offered Peter to go to Kronstadt and launch a struggle for power, relying on the army and navy, but the emperor was confused and returned to Oranienbaum.
Catherine at the head of the guard moved to meet her husband.
Peter finally lost heart.
On July 10, 1762, he officially abdicated.
Under the supervision of the guards, led by Alexei Orlov, Peter was sent to the village of Ropsha.
“The ease with which the coup was carried out is due to the fact that Peter III showed cowardice on the verge of cowardice.
He himself abandoned any form of struggle for power,” Vitaly Zakharov emphasized.
Coronation of Catherine II, illustration from the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron
© Wikimedia
On July 17, 1762, Peter died in Ropsha under unclear circumstances.
According to the official version, he died as a result of a hemorrhagic stroke, but many historians suggest that he could have been killed - either on the orders of Catherine II herself, or at the direction of her opponents, who thus tried to discredit and overthrow the new empress, but failed to bring their plan to end.
According to experts, the people positively perceived the transfer of power to Catherine II.
“The new empress in the popular mind seemed to be a hope for salvation from oppression, want and other negative phenomena,” Vasily Malov, an employee of the Tyumen Historical Park of the Russia - My History project, said in a conversation with RT.
According to him, after coming to power, Catherine II generously rewarded all the participants in the coup.
In the future, she tried to shower favors on representatives of the elite of society in order to make it impossible for conspiracies to appear against her.
“Catherine II was well versed in people.
She made every effort not to alienate the wise dignitaries from herself and at the same time to attract young energetic officers and officials capable of new achievements to her side.
This became the key to strengthening the state and expanding the borders of Russia during the years of her reign, ”summed up Tatyana Khomutova.